Edric Broadberry

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Edric William Broadberry
Born(1894-12-14)14 December 1894
Middlesex, England
Died26 December 1967(1967-12-26) (aged 73)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Royal Air Force
Years of service1914–1947
RankGroup Captain
UnitEssex Regiment
Royal Flying Corps
Commands heldNo. 56 Squadron RFC
Battles/warsWorld War I
World War II
AwardsMilitary Cross
Other workTechnical Branch of Royal Air Force

Captain Edric William Broadberry MC (14 December 1894 – 26 December 1967) was a British pilot. He began his military career during World War I. During that conflict, he would become a flying ace credited with eight confirmed aerial victories. He remained in service throughout World War II, and served his nation for 33 years, not retiring until 1947.

Early life[edit]

Broadberry was born on 14 December 1894[1] in Middlesex, England.[2] He was the son of Arthur Edward Broadbery, gas works manager of Southend and later Tottenham and Amy Lucy Dubois, and the grandson of William Henry Hague Broadberry, a gas engineer, originally of North Collingham, Nottinghamshire.

World War I[edit]

Broadberry's initial military service was with the Essex Regiment in the Gallipoli campaign.[1] He had been raised to a temporary captaincy on 27 May 1914; on 16 March 1916, he surrendered his temporary captaincy upon leaving his posting within the regiment.[3] On 30 May 1916, he was promoted to captain.[4] He learned to fly at Aboukir, Egypt.[1]

On 8 November 1916, Broadberry was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps[5] as a Flying Officer.[6] He returned to England, and was posted to combat duty in France with 56 Squadron on 20 April 1917 as a Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a pilot. He scored his first aerial victory on 12 May 1917; he ran his tally to eight by 11 July. The following day, he was removed from action by being hit in the leg while being shot down.[1]

As a reward for his exploits, he was awarded the Military Cross on 1 January 1918.[7]

List of aerial victories[edit]

See also: Aerial victory standards of World War I

Confirmed victories are numbered and listed chronologically. Unconfirmed victories are denoted by "u/c".

No. Date/time Aircraft Foe Result Location Notes
1 12 May 1917 @ 0845 hours Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a serial number A8903 Albatros D.III Destroyed East of Lens Victory shared with Gerald J. C. Maxwell
2 20 May 1917 @ 1410 hours Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n A8903 Albatros D.III Driven down out of control Guesnain, France
3 23 May 1917 between 1900 and 1015 hours Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n A8903 Albatros D.III Driven down out of control Aubigny, France Victory shared with Philip B. Prothero
4 26 May 1917 @ 1930 hours Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n A8903 German two-seater Driven down out of control Gouy-sous-Bellonne, France
5 27 May 1917 between 1900 and 2000 hours Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n A8903 Albatros D.III Driven down out of control East of Bugnicourt
6 7 June 1917 between 0850 and 0940 hours Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n A8918 German two-seater Destroyed Poelcappelle, France
7 7 June 1917 between 0850 and 0940 hours Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n A8918 German two-seater Driven down out of control Ledegem, Belgium
8 11 July 1917 @ 1930 hours Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n A8918 German two-seater Driven down out of control Houthulst Wood, Belgium
u/c 11 July 1917[1]

Post World War I[edit]

Broadberry remained in the newly formed Royal Air Force after the First World War and made a career of it. On 1 August 1919, he granted a permanent commission in the reorganized Royal Air Force as a flying officer.[8]

Quite some years of his career passed unnoticed; however, in 1936, he was a squadron leader at the Air Observers School at North Coates.[1] On 1 April 1937, he was promoted from squadron leader to wing commander.[9]

On 24 April 1940, in the early stages of World War II, Wing Commander Broadberry transferred duty to the Technical Branch of the RAF.[10] On 1 December 1941, he was promoted to temporary group captain.[11] His temporary appointment as group captain did not cease until well after war's end, on 1 November 1947.[12] On 21 December 1947, Broadberry retired, keeping the rank of group captain in his retirement.[13]

Broadberry died early on 26 December 1967.[1]

References[edit]

Notes
  1. ^ a b c d e f g Shores et.al. (1997), p.86.
  2. ^ Franks (2007), p.12.
  3. ^ "No. 29585". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 May 1916. p. 4950.
  4. ^ "No. 29726". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 August 1916. p. 8491.
  5. ^ "No. 29869". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 December 1916. p. 12334.
  6. ^ "No. 29870". The London Gazette. 19 December 1916. p. 12344.
  7. ^ "No. 30450". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1918. pp. 30–32.
  8. ^ "No. 31620". The London Gazette. 28 October 1919. pp. 13138–13139.
  9. ^ "No. 34385". The London Gazette. 2 April 1937. p. 2126.
  10. ^ "No. 35076". The London Gazette. 14 February 1941. p. 902.
  11. ^ "No. 35383". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 December 1941. pp. 7110–7112.
  12. ^ "No. 38131". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 November 1947. p. 5588.
  13. ^ "No. 38153". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 December 1947. p. 6086.
Bibliography
  • Shores, Christopher F.; Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell (1990). Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920. London, UK: Grub Street. ISBN 0-948817-19-4.
  • Franks, Norman (2007). SE 5/5a Aces of World War I: Volume 78 of Aircraft of the Aces. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781846031809.
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